Heel-building machine



B. S. MEGATHLIN.

HEEL BUILDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l. 1919.

Paten ted Aug. 9,1921.

"step stares earner series.

RALPH S. MEGATHLIN, 0F SOMERVILLTJ, MASSIlA-CHUSETTS; ASSIGNOR TO.UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF N JERSEY..

HEEL-BUILDING Mncnrnn r t-eaten Aug. 9,1921.

Application fi led August 1, 1919, Serial No. 314,711.

To all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that l, RALPH SQMEGATHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at bomerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in HeeLBuilding Machines, of which the following description,

in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference char acters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machinesfor building heels for boots and shoes, and more particularly to means for assembling a number of lifts or blanks and securing them in assembled relation.

In accordance with a practice heretofore followed, it has been customary to manually assemble a number of blanks or heel lifts,

one on top of another in a mold, whose interior contour corresponded with the contour desired'for the pile of lifts, and then secure the lifts together either by an adhesive or fastening, or both. This system, however,

has been found objectionable on account of.

the large number of molds required for the great variety in the form ofheels desired, and because the glue or adhesive with which the adjacent surfaces of the blanks or lifts are coated, soon gums up the mold," and much loss of time results inmaintaining the molds in proper working condition.

Another system has suggested an arrangement of a number of piles of small plates about a central forming space, and securing the plates of each pile together when they have been placed with their edges in a desired Overlapping condition generally conforming with the desired pitch of the heel. In forming the pile of lifts according to this system, the operative or machine attendant feels the gage plates about the forming space with one hand and with the other selects the lift or lifts which, to the sense of touch, seem of the proper thickness to bring the heel to the desired height. The

plates, because the heel lifts are not always of the same thickness as the plates, and consequently, as the lifts are stacked in the form they are not always accurately alined. Moreover, since the plates are separate and independentof each other, considerable skill is required to pile them in the desired relation, especially when they become more or less covered with the glue or adhesive used to hold the surfaces of the lifts in close contact. In this, as in the older method, the uniformityof product and accuracy of the pile of lifts to respond to the desired character of heel, have depended upon the skill and care of the operative or machine attendant, and the amount of work turned out in any'predetermined period of time has been necessarily limited by the manual operations required in building the heels.

WVhen a pile of assembled lifts is completed, it is desirable that the breast edge portionsof the pile of lifts or blanks shall be in substantially the same plane and that the contour portions of the lifts or blanks shall be related in substantial conformity with the desired pitch of the heel.

An important feature of the present in-. vention, therefore, consists in a series of heel plates extending heightwise of a pile of lifts assembled on a lift support and adjustable to different inclinations with respect to the surface of the support on which the lifts are assembled and to different positions around the contour of the pile of lifts. Since the heel plate is continuous heightwise of the heel, and islinclined in accordance with the pitch desired for the pile of lifts, it follows that the several strata of lifts throughout the height of the heel will conform substantially to the pitch desired when the heel plate is brought in contact with the contour edges of the lifts.

/Vhen the pile of lifts of appropriate thickness have been assembled on the lift support, it is. desirable that they be lined up againstthe breast gage to bring the breast edge portions of the lifts in the same plane and cause the contour edge portions of the lifts to partake of the inclined relation defined by the heel plates. Another important feature of the invention,- therefore, consists of mounting the heel plates about; the forming space in groups upon carriers arranged for movement in directions diagonally converging'toward the breast gage or plate.

In carrying this feature of the invention into practical-effect, the series of heel plates adiustable as to inclination relative to the lift support, 'are assembled on clamping blocks which are simultaneously movable'in diagonally converging directions toward the heel breast plate or gage; 1 r

Another important feature of the inven. tion consists of mountingthe heelplates for adjustment on curved path extending about the central forming space. This feature of the invention maybe variously contrived, but in the present instance, several clamping plates,

- extending heightwise of the pile of lifts on thelift support, are adjustable ,in a curvilinear path; on the clamping blooksland are adaptedto be secured lnad'gusted position on their respective blocks. I 7

Other features and nOVGlCOIIlblHEI-UOIIS of parts will-hereinafter bed'escribed, and then the true scope oftheiinvention will he ie fined by the claims; 4 y In the drawings I V f t V Figure 1 represents in perspective -v1ew-,

Vsutlici-ent port-ions of; a, heelbuilding -machine with the present inventlon embodied theremyto make clear the construction and mode of operation-of the invention and" associated parts; Fig; 2 is an enlarged view showing the parts inseparated relation and someofithe elcments'broken away. 1

The invention is herein illustrated for i convenience as applied to amanually op erated heel building, :"iachme, but may be" advantageously employed in a power oper-- ated machine, many types of which are well known in the art; The frame of-the machine may-be of any desired construction and character for supporting the operating parts, and in the present instance comprises ui'ideisupporting members 1 on" which, is niiounted a bed or supporting topQJ This construction, lends itselfparticularly' to a manually operated heel lbuildin'g machine, and; in case the invention is used in a power operated n'iachine', the supporting frame will he correspondingly changed to afford proper sustaining means for the operating parts.

Mounted on the machine frame is-a car ier or support 3 which may be sustained upon the supportby anysuitable 'means. In: the present instance the machine frame has rising therefrom, at each side'thereof,

the. brackets 4; through which extend the adjusting screws 5 having theithuinb piece 6 by. which the-screwsmay be'manually ad V just 'ed The e'nd portion of the adjusting screws'i5i is tapered orpointed, asat' 7 to engage-the carrieraBj In the" present in-' stance ithe adjusting screws 5 1 engage: th

the clamping blocks in a side of the carrier 3' and may be withdrawn from engagement therewith by; reverse rotation of the adjusting screws to permit the carrier 3 to be reversed end for end as and for a purposethat'w ll' later'a'ppear.

The carrier has connected. thereto the j lift support and heel clamping blocks carrying the heel plates. The lift support may be variously contrived, but in the present instance'isfformed bya block Sseeured to thecarrier 3 and ad ustably connectedthereto is a breast gage or plate 9 having a slot 10 through which extends'a securing bolt 11., the. construction being such that *the breast gage o 1 plate 9-may be adjnsted'r'elat-ive .tothe lift support 8,t0 presentzan abutment or gage forthe breast edge portions of thei i'le of lifts assembled on the if lift support.

V Mounted uponlthe carriei' 3V'for; movement i relatively thereto-,in adirection: diagonally:

converging toward the breast gage" or plate '9, are the heel clamping-,blocks12'ca1ry1ng the heel plates. The described mo-vementof the heel clamping blocks 1:2 my be imparted converge, inwardly: toward :the heel breast or plate "9.. iihe carrier--3 aisalso pro' vided mllllli'ilhe converging slots; 14 through which extends a guide members 15,. pr'oj ectingfrom each of the enenmpmgsmem; gThe guide member l5jengages between; the in clined guides 13, i3, f secured to.- the under sin ace of the carrier 3,]the construction hein such that movement of the guidemem-' her 15in the i gu1deways-:afforded by the inclined guideslii', 13, W1ll5 causethe-heel V clampingiblocl; to which the giiide membejr is secured, to move diagonallyrelative to' the gaging face of theheel breastgage org 7 plate 9.

. :Extending downwardly irdm each of the guide members 15, i'sa pin ltiz'carrying a roll 17; '1"; i The nachi11e top: or bed-2 is} provided with transrersely arranged slots 18, 18-, in g ,whichare guided the actuating membersIQ,

19, carrying rolls vor pins 20 upon: their upper portions above the top surface of the 7 bed 2; The guiding members'lt) arepivoted to themachine' frame at"21, and vtheir low cr extending ends 22 are connected bytoggles 533 jointed together at 24 and connected-to an operating member 25, which, in the-pres{ 'ent instance, is treadlelactuated." 1

fWhen the carrier 3 is; in operativeiposition ,las indicated in Fig. 1,;the mus- 17 x tending from theheel clamping blocks are I positioned in front of the rolls-20carried by the actuating members 19, the construction a being such that should the upper ends of the rolls on the actuating members 19 are sufliciently long to maintain contact with the rolls 17 throughout the sliding movement of the heel clamping blocks.

In order to move the heel clamping blocks in a direction diagonally away from each other and from the breast gage or plate 9, any convenient means may be provided, a good form ofsuch means being shown in v Fig. 2, In this instancethe means comprises springs 26, one end of which is connected at 27 to each guide member 15, and the other end of which is secured at 28 to a fixed point on the carrier 3, the construction being such that when the heel clamping blocks 12 have been moved diagonally toward the heel breastvor gage 9, and then released, the springs 26 will return the respective heel clamping blocks to their normal outwardposition.

Each of the heel'clamping blocks carries a series of heel plates which are adjustable to different inclinations relative to the surface of the lift support. In the present instance each of the heel. clamping blocks is provided with a groove or slot 29, Fig. 1, 1n

I lift support 8.

which a series of blocks 30 are mounted. The blocks 30'aiford one convenient means for carrying the heel'p'lates and are adjustable in the grooves or slots 29, which are preferably curved, as indicated in Fig. 1. The curvature, of theslots 29 approximately corresponds with the general curve or contour of the vpile of lifts arranged upon the Extending upwardly from each of the blocks 30 is a threaded pin 31 which passes through slots 32 and 33 formed in the adjusting plates ea, 35, .respectively. Threadedto each of the stems 31; above the adjusting plate 34, is a winged nut 36 adapted to clamp the adjusting plate 34: in adjusted position on the heel clampingnblock 12. The upper end portion of the stems 31. are enlarged, as at 37, and below the adjusting plate 35. each stem is provided with arwing nut 38, the construction being such that by manipulation of the nut- 38 the adjusting plate 35 maybe held in adjusted position. Extending between the inner end portions of each of the adjusting plates 34; andf35 is a heel plate 39 preferably hinged as at 40, to the upper and lower adjusting plates, the construction being such that by manipulation of the winged nuts 36 and 38, the adjusting plates 34 and 35 may be moved bodily lengthwise upon their supporting heel clamping blocks; and by manipulation of convenient and simple form of means to this end, whereby the inclination of the heel plates relative to the lift support may be adjusted in accordance with the desired pitch of the pile of lifts assembled on the support.

From the construction .described it will be apparent that when a pile of lifts or blanks has been assembled on the liftsupport, and the heel clamping blocks are moved in a diagonally converging direction toward the heel breast gage or plate 9, that the series of lifts will be lined up against the breast gage or plate 9 with their contour edges in contact with the inclined surfaces of the heel plates 39, which thereby determine the inclination or pitch of the heel.

The heel clamping blocks 12 may be variously formed and of any desired number. Two such heelclamping blocks are shown and their contiguous ends 41 are shaped to permit the heel clamping blocksto be moved in the diagonal direction described.

It is usual in building heels to apply an adhesive to the surface of each of the lifts and as a convenient means to this end .a roller 42 is mounted in a glue or adhesive tank 43 so that the machine attendant may conveniently apply an adhesive to the surfaces of the heel lifts.

Some machine attendants or operatives can work better when the breast gage or plate 9 is at the front of the machine adj a-. cent to the attendant, whileothers can operate the machine with more facility when the breast gage or plate 9 is at the rear. To accommodate each of the operatives or attendants, the carrier 3, as hereinbefore described, is mounted between the adjusting screws 5 in a manner to permit the carrier 3 to be detached from the screws 5 and turned horizontally 180. Thus a suitable and ef fective means is provided to permit the attendant to adjust the carrier with the breast gage or plate 9 either at the front or at. the rear of the machine as his or her preference may dictate. J j i i As a convenient means for the ready assembling of lifts the carrier 3 may be mounted upon the machine frame for slight tilting movement, so that the attendant may tilt the carrier 3 eitherfrontwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1, or backwardly, as may best suit him or her.

The carrier 3 may be provided with openings 44L through which any dirt, scraps, or other foreign matter may pass.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let;

*ters. Patentrof' the United States is 1. Ina heel building maohine, the cornbination of a support for a pile of heel lifts,

' heel plates'arranged about! a central forrnmg spaceancl extend ng. n; a direction,

heightwiseof a pile of lifts on said support," means forva djusting the inglination ofthe plates relative to the surface. of the support; and means for adjusting the heel plates to 7 different positions about the forming spaee.

I 2. In -a"heellbiiilcling .maehinegthe com- 7 hination of a support for a pile of heel lifts,

aheelplate extending from a point aclja-i eentllthe surfaee of the supporttothe top,

. ofga pile of liftson saicl support, means for f fiClJIlStlIlg' the heel plate about the: pile'of lifts to engage-the edges of the lifts at clifferentqpositiom about the pile. of lifts,

and means for adjusting thelinelination of plate relative to the surfaoe of; the support in aceor clance with: the clesire cl piteh of the heel, .;-f Y

3. Ina heehbuilding maehine, the, coni bination of aflift' support, aybreast gage; heel clamping bloeks eabh' carry ng a series ofheel .elampswhiehwengagethe edges of apile of lifts on thejlift, support, anclf means for rnoying the heel ,clampingjfbloeks. in clirerions,diag ;onal to the heel breast gage to the lifts 7 into, contact .theifewith and alinefthe edges ofthe lifts,

4. I v,agheel building. mlaehine; the eeni b nation of a' l up1 r ;-e'.- rea t age; iMYQ hQQl" elamping bloekseach carrying a seriesef heel @nm sand means for, moving tnioheel elainping' bloeks' each; -a1 1;; a seriesof heel. clamps. means f 'achusting the individual olainps to ,cliffereiiti positions on] the clamping blocks] and means for thefheel Clamping hlorks indireclZlOIlS d agonally converging. toward the breast; gage to aline the. l fts, aga nst the breast ga 5 6. a heel ,builcl'in'gwmaehine, the gem bination of-a supportfor a !pil e'jof heel lifts,

breast gage, heel Clamping j bloc'ks arranged 7 about; a ,central forrning' space and carrying heel clamps, means fona cljusting v the clamps ontheelamping' blQCksfo clifferentjipositions iabouhthe f0r1ning spaee, anclunezinsfor'simultaneeusly mOVln vthe elampi-ngjhloeks in clireetions diagonally ennvergingtoward the breast gage to move 15.0 I

aj 'pile of lifts on-saicl support'ancl aline them against the breastgage'. v heel building machine; the c0'rnfront i01 re f. th wh e; e 111,; in aih e buil i g and heelvela np'sfforlinin v s a 'arrier hypwhich y es ees ine i n K la upp terwi Q t el-fife,

, a: breast gage f heel clamping blocks a1}- rang ecl abouta' central forming space and carrying heel clamps, means for adjusting the clamps' on 1 theclamping blocks in a curVeclpathto: different positions about the i forming spat-e, and means for simultaneously moving the clamping blocks in directions, di gonall converging toward 5 the 0 3,09 '7 V by: in V V 8. In a heel build ng'- machine, the pornini t i bf a li t. supp rt, breast ases. heel, clamping bloeks arranged; about the liftsupport and eaeh provi'de'cl with' a pluclifferg-nt inclinations relative to the surface 'offlthe lift support, andf'rneans for b a etogmdve P le" of li tsoiii s id i support and aline magainst the breast rality of, heel plates that are'acljustable to i me s t e c amp n b o ks in d a @lir tibns t ward he br a t; ga e-t e ne' pile v i li-fts flg i stfthe br as i w t the contour edges of the lifts relatively I 130-.

sitionedfin the line of pitch 91 n heel bui din meme he; c b ne bn io ift uiipii rt. a bre t, gage,

heel clamping blocks ngeclabout the lift support and ,proyicleclj with entp in lin ations relative to thesurface of the' s ip-p t; ta, S L O ediU fi g the heeln at s'. lif iuipp rl and means, fer it m n is %1empin block s. in diagonal 'fdireetions mr' r the; breast? ease 5w; aline' a pile of it aga nst; the

f l' amnsQfOt 1i i nsup p e f.

lifts 'againsti'the breast gage ararrier by wh aid. ft s ppers bre t "s ge; a d

heel elem-ps1 e ar i llf a frame an to 7 present the' bre ast gage v either to the against the brea 'age',

sad; 1i i2i supp tfrb ea i; a snd" h e elampsiareearriegl; a fraiiie a'nclfconneetions betweenfthe rame andearrier for hol ding the; carrier in" an] inclined position and permitting it to he reye fsedfto present the 5 br a t i eas ither? rthej ro tBer im qr th mchi e, i

Ihitesi m'onrwh r of Si n a name t0 this ispeeification.

aplu rality. oif he l plates: hat ya e adiu ta let e fferent iloeations, about the.

eastgegew i hihe e the i i'iftj supp t i es eager e; the coral a breast sage,

RALPH V eeA'iHL N ms t 

